This invention relates to a lamp assembly for a domestic clothes dryer for mounting a lamp outside the dryer drum to illuminate the interior of the drum. More particularly, this invention relates to a lamp assembly for illuminating the interior of a clothes dryer drum wherein the assembly includes a pivoting lamp socket so that the assembly may be conveniently serviced for replacement of burned out lightbulbs.
The prior art has provided lamp assemblies for clothes dryers. Such lamp assemblies have conventionally been installed at the back of a dryer drum. Prior art lamp assemblies were difficult to service because, after removal of a protective lens, the lamp socket was so oriented that the lightbulb was difficult to reach and rotate for removal from the lamp socket. This problem was made worse because the lamp assembly, in many clothes dryers, could be serviced only by reaching through the dryer drum. Additionally, since it is well known that the threads of lightbulb bases tend to gall because of the use of soft metal for the bases, it was often necessary to apply a relatively large twisting force to the lightbulb. It was then possible to break the lightbulb, thus making it more difficult for the operator to remove the lightbulb base from the lamp socket.
To provide better access to lamp assemblies other prior art lamp assemblies for clothes dryers were so mounted in back of the drum that servicing could be accomplished from the back of the dryer. Since space is limited in many clothes dryers installations, it is often difficult to reach the back of the dryer for replacement of burned out lightbulbs.
Thus it is desired to provide a lamp assembly for a domestic clothes dryer which is conveniently located and which is easy to service.
Pivoting lamp socket assemblies for various applications have also been provided in the prior art. However, problems have been encountered with such fixtures in that they are relatively difficult to service for replacement of lightbulbs, that no positive stops have been provided for the servicing and operating positions of the lamp socket, and that protective lenses for the fixtures could be damaged because, in the operating position, the lamp socket was not completely repositioned so that the lightbulb could touch the lens and the heat developed by the lightbulb could damage the lens. Finally, prior art fixtures have been relatively expensive to manufacture.
It is therefore desired to provide a lamp assembly for a clothes dryer which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which is convenient to service for replacement of burned out lightbulbs.